Highlights from the 2014 FPI Forum

AHS students from 10 schools were represented at the 2014 FPI Forum on December 3. This week, the Foreign Policy Initiative published the forum's highlights on their website, featuring quotes from FPI speaker and AHS adviser Eric Edelman on fixing the defense budget:

"The problem here is that both the executive and legislative branches have taken the defense budget hostage with slightly different theories of the case. Both propositions over the last three years have been definitively exposed as wrong, but when two sides are at an impasse and have taken the same hostage, it doesn't usually work out well for the hostage."

The problem here is that both the executive and legislative branches have taken the defense budget hostage with slightly different theories of the case. The executive branch case was, if we hold the defense budget hostage, we will get Republicans to agree to raise taxes. And then the legislative branch theory was if we hold the defense budget hostage, we can get the President to reduce discretionary domestic spending. Both propositions over the last three years have been definitively exposed as wrong, but when two sides are at an impasse and have taken the same hostage, it doesn't usually work out well for the hostage. – Ambassador Eric Edelman - See more at: http://www.foreignpolicyi.org/content/defense-highlights-2014-fpi-forum#sthash.eft4uVnj.dpuf